Fairy Tail: This Healing Mage's hits hurt so much!

Natsu sat by the river, feeling depressed, clutching a twig and scribbling on the ground, his face full of sorrow.

Gildarts told him the truth about his injury, about the black dragon, which weighed heavily on his heart, making it hard to breathe.

Happy flew down from the sky with a whoosh, its little wings flapping wildly. It landed rather inaccurately, bumping into Natsu's shoulder before bouncing and regaining its balance.

"Natsu!"

Natsu listlessly looked up at Happy, barely lifting his eyelids, his mouth slightly open, looking completely distracted.

Without saying a word, Happy hugged Natsu's head and patted his forehead with his little paws.

"Natsu, Gray has challenged you to a fight! He wants you to battle him tomorrow!"

"Ha↗" Natsu blinked, his mind still not quite processing what was happening.

Harpy flapped his wings excitedly, his tail wagging like a rattle.

"It's said that Gray obtained some mysterious power from Sunshine and wants to test his skills against you!"

"Ha!" Natsu chuckled again, but this time his tone was noticeably different.

Happy patted Natsu's head again, his little paws making a slapping sound.

"What the heck, Grey? I want to fight you, are you going to fight or not?!"

Natsu's head began to spin, like a rusty gear being re-oiled, spinning faster and faster, the dullness in his eyes gradually being replaced by something more intense.

He suddenly jumped up, his mood instantly shifting from depressed to high-spirited, his fists clenched so tightly they cracked, and flames popped out from between his fingers.

"Wow! This is getting exciting! Forget about black dragons, we'll crush them all!"

Happy tilted his head, not understanding what Gray and the black dragon had in common, but seeing Natsu cheer up again, he happily flapped his wings and circled around Natsu.

Natsu led Happy home, his steps light as if he were on springs, a stark contrast to the dejected figure he had been by the river earlier.

"Harpy, eat your fill tonight, we'll teach Gray a lesson tomorrow! Let him know who's in charge!"

"Yes! I want boiled black-backed sea bass!"

"No problem, I'll have two!"

The next day, Sunshine handed several bottles of potions to Gildarts. The liquid in the bottles had a faint pinkish luster, and you could smell the fragrance of roses if you got close.

"Take it home and use it for a bath."

Gildarts took the bottle, held it to his nose and smelled it, then frowned and scratched his head.

"Is it really that complicated? Are you trying to keep me here longer on purpose? I'm coming back this time to stay until after the S-level assessment, so there's no need to go to such lengths to keep me here."

"What are you thinking? Restoring your limbs is simple, but the new limbs won't be as nimble. The connection between the nerves and muscles needs to be gradually worked out. In order to be comparable to the original, the process will be a bit more complicated."

Sunburst patted Gildarts's uninjured shoulder.

"If you find it too troublesome, I can give you a half-baked treatment, but then it will take even longer to adjust."

"Okay, okay, but what the heck is this rose scent?"

Gildarts sniffed the bottle again, his expression one of disgust.

"Is it inappropriate for a grown man like me to do this? People will laugh at me if I go out like this."

"This was Kana's request; she thought you smelled too strong."

Gildarts squatted on the ground drawing circles, muttering to himself, looking as aggrieved as a large dog that had been scolded.

"Enough said, enough said, Grenaz and the others are about to start, let's go watch the fun."

Sunlight grabbed Gildarts and the two walked arm in arm toward the outskirts. Sunlight's steps were suspiciously light, and the corners of his mouth kept turning up in a smile.

The two arrived at an open space in the suburbs just in time.

A crowd had already gathered in the open space. Makarov sat on the large rock at the front, Erza stood beside him with her arms crossed, Lucy, Juvia, Wendy, Sharo, Lisanna, and Elfman stood in a row, Uru was eating sunflower seeds, and Happy was fawning over Sharo.

Sunrise happily went over and hugged Mirajane affectionately.

Gray stood on one side of the open space, his hands in his pockets, his expression stern, but the corners of his mouth were slightly upturned, clearly showing his confidence in his new abilities today.

Natsu stood opposite him, his fists clenched, flames flickering between his fingers, looking like a powder keg ready to explode at any moment.

When Makarov saw that Dr. Riyao had arrived, he knew that everyone was there, and he raised a small, short hand.

"Ready, set, go!"

The moment his hand landed, Natsu had already charged forward, his feet pushing off the ground with tremendous force, sending sand and dust flying.

He charged toward Gray like a burning arrow, his hands blazing with intense flames, crimson magic circles glowing before his fists, his punches carrying scorching waves of air.

The Fire Dragon's Iron Fist

"Gray! Take this punch!"

Gray snorted coldly, advancing instead of retreating. He clasped his hands together, and an ice-blue magic circle lit up in his palms, with a chill spreading rapidly from the soles of his feet.

【Ice Design - Fallen Leaves】

Natsu was stunned; he had never heard of this technique before, and his mind didn't process it.

A thin layer of ice spread out beneath Gray's feet, and the cold air condensed into countless willow-leaf-shaped ice crystals, which gently swept towards Natsu, like a cold autumn wind carrying fallen leaves.

The ice leaf brushed past Natsu's body without causing any harm. Natsu raised his arms to block it, but found nothing wrong. He lowered his arms, scratched his head, and looked confused.

"Huh? What kind of move is that? You seem completely unharmed. Have you gotten weaker?"

The people outside the arena could see it very clearly.

Makarov stroked his beard, exclaimed in surprise, his small eyes gleaming.

"Grey has gotten smarter; he knows how to create opportunities that are advantageous to himself."

While Natsu was stunned, Gray didn't give him a chance to catch his breath. He clasped his hands together again, and magic power rapidly condensed.

【Ice Design - Thorns】

Ulu paused in his sunflower seed-eating motion, scratched his head, and felt that this looked like her move.

The thin ice beneath Natsu's feet suddenly cracked open, and several ice thorns burst forth from beneath the ice, moving as fast as snakes. They quickly wrapped around Natsu's legs and waist, the sharp thorns piercing his clothes and pinning him firmly to the spot.

"Wow, they actually resorted to such a sneaky trick!"

Natsu struggled twice, but the thorns tightened their grip.

"But that's not enough!"

Natsu was engulfed in flames, and orange-red waves of fire exploded from his body. The thorns melted and broke rapidly under the high temperature. He suddenly broke free of his restraints, took a deep breath, and his chest expanded rapidly.

The Roar of the Fire Dragon

A torrent of red flames erupted from Natsu's mouth, carrying devastating heat as it hurtled towards Gray. The air crackled and popped wherever the flames passed, and the thin ice on the ground instantly evaporated into white mist.

Gray smirked and waved his right hand, conjuring a straight longsword in his hand. The blade was a translucent ice-blue color, and a chilling aura emanated from its edge.

【Ice-inspired Tang Dynasty Sword】

He did not dodge the roar of the fire dragon. He firmly planted his feet on the ice, held his knife in both hands, and slowly drew the blade back. A pink tattoo appeared on his back, and cold air rapidly compressed on the blade.

"Whirlwind Slash"

The Tang sword was swung upwards, and an icy blue blade of light sliced ​​through the flames. The newly spread ice fragments were swept up by the sword's momentum, carrying a chilling aura as they rose with the blade, transforming into an icy blue whirlwind in the air.

The torrent of flames was extinguished by the climax, but the chill did not stop, continuing to advance and enveloping Natsu completely.

The ice spread rapidly from Natsu's feet, freezing him from head to toe in a huge block of ice, the bottom of which merged with the thin ice on the ground.

It was as if the ice block had emerged from the ground, its tip pointing straight to the sky, refracting a dazzling icy blue light in the sunlight.

The entire room fell silent for a second.

Then a deafening gasp erupted.

"Oh! Natsu got instantly killed by Gray!" Lucy's eyes widened and her mouth formed an "O".

"Lord Gray, you're so handsome!" Juvia cupped her cheeks in her hands, her face flushed, and her eyes sparkling with hearts.

Elfman slapped his thigh.

"This is how a real man fights!"

However, laughter followed immediately.

"Wait a minute, Gray's tattoo on the back... hahaha..." someone shouted first.

"Is it a pink hair dryer? Hahaha..."

"It looks like a pig... hahaha..."

"It's a pig that looks like a hairdryer, and it's pink! Hahahaha!"

The crowd outside instantly erupted in laughter. Some people were doubled over with laughter, clutching their stomachs, while others were patting the shoulders of those next to them, laughing so hard they couldn't speak. Even Makarov was laughing so hard his beard was shaking.

Gray was still stylishly sheathing his sword, holding it with one hand, the tip pointing downwards, the chill slowly dissipating from the blade, his posture as handsome as a painting.

Upon hearing the laughter from outside the venue.

His expression froze instantly, and he immediately conjured an ice mirror to examine the tattoo on his back.

In the ice mirror, the pink tattoo was clearly visible in the sunlight, and the tattoo design was finally fully revealed before his eyes.

Gray's face darkened, turning as black as the bottom of a pot. His temples throbbed, and veins bulged from his forehead down to his neck. His hand holding the ice mirror trembled, and he almost dropped his Tang sword.

He whirled his head, his gaze sharp as a knife, and precisely locked onto the guy in the crowd who was laughing the loudest, his mouth practically stretched to his ears.

"Sunburst!!!"

Sunlight stood behind Mirajane, an innocent smile on his lips. The moment he saw Gray turn his head, he turned and ran, leaving a blur in his wake, his laughter carried on the wind.

"Oh ho ho ho, good boy, no need to thank me."

"You just wait, Sunrise!"